Dragon Dynasty Jet Li 3-Disc Blu-ray Set: Fist of Legend, Legend Fong Sai Yuk & Tai Chi Master (Weinstein)

Dragon Dynasty Jet Li 3-Disc Blu-ray Set: Fist of Legend, Legend Fong Sai Yuk & Tai Chi Master (Weinstein)

Dragon Dynasty Jet Li 3-Disc Blu-ray Set: Fist of Legend, Legend Fong Sai Yuk & Tai Chi Master (Weinstein)

RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2011

Together for the first time in one complete Blu-ray package: Fist of Legend, Legend of Fong Sai Yuk (first time on Blu-ray), and Tai Chi Master (with Michelle Yeoh).

Trailers: Fist of Legend | Legend of Fong Sai Yuk | Tai Chi Master

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Dragon Dynasty 2-Disc DVD Set: Legend of the Black Scorpion aka The Banquet & Empress and the Warrior (Weinstein)

Dragon Dynasty 2-Disc DVD Set: Legend of the Black Scorpion aka The Banquet & Empress and the Warrior (Weinstein)

Dragon Dynasty 2-Disc DVD Set: Legend of the Black Scorpion aka The Banquet & Empress and the Warrior (Weinstein)

RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2011

This set contains: Ching Siu-tung’s Empress and the Warrior starring Donnie Yen, Kelly Chen and Leon Lai; and Feng Xiaogang’s Legend of the Black Scorpion (aka The Banquet), starring Zhang Ziyi, Ge You, Daniel Wu and Zhou Xun.

Trailers: Empress and the Warrior | Legend of the Black Scorpion

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Boy Wonder DVD (Inception Media)

Boy Wonder DVD (Inception Media)

Boy Wonder DVD (Inception Media)

RELEASE DATE: November 8, 2011

“Robin Begins”? Not quite. But definitely a revenge/vigilante film. I’ve been reading many positive reviews about this indie festival favorite. It seems to be more like a drama than an action flick, but people seem to be talking about how realistic and brutal the fight scenes are. Boy Wonder is Michael Morrissey’s directorial debut. Check out the trailer.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Dragon Dynasty Jet Li 3-Disc DVD Set: Fist of Legend, The Enforcer aka My Father is a Hero & Tai Chi Master (Weinstein)

Dragon Dynasty Jet Li 3-Disc DVD Set: Fist of Legend, The Enforcer (aka My Father is a Hero) & Tai Chi Master (Weinstein)

Dragon Dynasty Jet Li 3-Disc DVD Set: Fist of Legend, The Enforcer (aka My Father is a Hero) & Tai Chi Master (Weinstein)

RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2011

Together for the first time in one complete DVD package: Fist of Legend, The Enforcer (aka My Father is a Hero), and Tai Chi Master (with Michelle Yeoh).

Trailers: Fist of Legend | The Enforcer | Tai Chi Master

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence Trailer

“Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)” director Tom Six has a few words for the British Board of Film Classification, which has banned the sequel to Six’s “Human Centipede” film in the U.K.

The BBFC claimed that the movie, about a man who gets “erotically obsessed” with the first film and gets the idea to create his own human centipede, was “sexually violent,” “potentially obscene” and a “real risk” to moviegoers. The organization said that the film couldn’t be legally viewed in the U.K. even by DVD or download.

Six told Entertainment Weekly earlier this year that the second film indeed makes the first gruesome flick look like “My Little Pony,” and that the IFC was planning to release “Human Centipede II” stateside “after the summer.” Read more here.

Update: Check out the teaser trailer.

Posted in News |

Pulse | aka Kairo (2001) Review

"Pulse" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Pulse” Japanese Theatrical Poster

AKA: The Circuit
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Cast: Haruhiko Kato, Kumiko Aso, Koyuki, Kurume Arisaka, Masatoshi Matsuo, Show Aikawa, Jun Fubuki, Shinji Takeda, Koji Yakusho, Shun Sugata
Running Time: 119 min.

By Numskull

What Kairo sets out to do, it does superbly. However, not everyone will be happy with what it does, which is to sustain an eerie mood for two hours rather than simply tell a scary story. That’s not to say there isn’t a plot; it’s just to say that the plot isn’t the strongest aspect of the film. That being the case, I trust the reader will forgive me for not describing it in much detail. In a nutshell, people are seeing disturbing apparitions on their computer screens, and there is some transition by these supernatural elements into the material world. The witnesses are left feeling unbearably depressed, and a rash of suicides occurs. Throw some more freaky shit into the pot, like black smears left on spaces once occupied by bodies, and “forbidden rooms” sealed with red tape (the adhesive kind, not the bureaucratic bullsh*t) and you’ve got a horror movie stew that some will declare delectable and others will spit out in disgust.

The film follows two groups of characters whose stories eventually merge, but it is understood that the things they’re experiencing are happening everywhere. There are distinct shortages of expositional dialogue, quick cuts, and bright colors. It’s largely just people reacting to bizarre circumstances…sometimes sensibly, sometimes not…without a lot of dramatic exclamation points or jarring music when the movie wants to say “This is important.”

Like I said before, Kairo is more concerned with mood than narrative. It will disturb you for as long as you watch it but not much longer, and it won’t exactly “scare” you. Perhaps this is partly because of its use of computers as tools for the evil, nasty supernatural powers that be. It’s hard to think of a humming piece of machinery, with pretty green lights, made of plastic and glass and metal, as being a collaborator with, or outlet for, the type of unexplained phenomena that has always scared us human beings, with our pockets of rationality in the pants of the big, mysterious universe…but that’s what’s going on here. The use of modern technology in conjunction with primal horror worked for the Ring films, but Kairo’s structure is of a much different breed. Suffice to say that Kairo succeeds admirably and is recommended to all who enjoy films of this type.

Numskull’s Rating: 8/10


By Len

Like Ring, the horror in Kairo is based on something that couldn’t be less scarier. Honestly, on a scale of 1-10, how scary do you consider webcams to be? That’s what I thought too. However, like Ring, it succeeds admirably and the end result not only terrifies, but gives something to think about too. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s (not related to Akira) earlier work, but people less familiar with the new japanese horror cinema will definately find this to be an unique approach to a genre that is usually associated with shitty scripts and less intellectual content than your average episode of Survivors.

Kairo tells two overlapping stories. In one, a girl working in a garden witnesses a strange suicide which affects everyone around her in radical ways. The other tells about a young guy who’s attempts at using the internet change his life. Basically, it’s one story, but with two different viewpoints. While this approach is a bit confusing at first, once the story gets properly started it’s easy to follow the stories. It’s also easy to see why Kurosawa felt the need to tell two stories. This way the two stories concentrate on different things, while allowing the viewer to get the full picture of what’s happening. The girl’s story is more about the way the suicide and the following events affect her life, and other story concentrates more on what’s causing the suicides, and thus unravelling some of the mystery.

I liked Ring. It was a well crafted horror film with some genuinely scary parts and I loved the way the timelimit imposed on the characters was used to create tension. However, Kairo manages to go further than most japanese horror films, both in storytelling and tension. It might not be quite as scary as Ring or maybe Dark Water (yeah, that was a sh*tty film, but it had it’s share of scary bits) for example and some might find it quite slow, but the script is stronger and has much more emotional content (not to mention the metaphysical ideas which Kurosawa examines yet again, although in a much more lighter tone compared to Cure or Charisma). In addition to the terrifying scenes, there are also many scenes full of real human emotion, which is seen way too rarely in films nowadays.

Len’s Rating: 9/10

Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Magnificent Ruffians aka Destroyers DVD (Tokyo Shock)

Magnificent Ruffians aka Destroyers DVD (Tokyo Shock)

Magnificent Ruffians aka Destroyers DVD (Tokyo Shock)

RELEASE DATE: Early 2012

According to Tokyo Shock, this title has been delayed until early next year.

1979’s Magnificent Ruffians is a “Venoms” movie directed by Chang Cheh and starring Philip Kwok, Chiang Sheng, Lo Meng, Sun Chien, Lu Feng, Wang Li, Yu Tai Ping and Annie Liu. Check out the cityonfire.com review here.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Die Hard 4.0 | aka Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Review

"Die Hard 4.0" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Die Hard 4.0” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Len Wiseman
Cast: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Jonathan Sadowski, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Maggie Q, Cliff Curtis, Kevin Smith, Cyril Raffaelli
Running Time: 129 min.

By Ningen

Ah, Die Hard-the movie ranked #1 action movie at Entertainment Weekly. The only one I didn’t see in the series was the second film, but, since I hear it doesn’t matter, I’ll assume the McTiernan versions should be enough to judge the fourth installment. Instead of shooting a real sequel, Len Wiseman decided to remake Hackers, but team up the criminal prodigy with a grizzled cop played by Willis. A hacker terrorist organization trying to shut down the country sends electronic letter bombs to throw off the feds’ scent. Matthew Farrell, the tech support anti-hero of the film, becomes a suspect behind the bombings; so the FBI sends John McClane to bring him in for questioning. Unfortunately, the cyber-psychos send in their own goons to finish the job, and McClane becomes more involved than he’d prefer. In order to defeat his new opponents, he has to survive the usual fist and gun-fights, as well as black-outs, shut-downs, and rogue electronic equipment.

Unfortunately, McClane has become whipped. His wife left him, his daughter won’t speak to him, and he can’t even beat down Maggie Q’s zombie without a struggle. Still, he manages to exhibit most of the old McClane ingenuity as he out-smarts those young whipper-snappers and their new-fangled toys by ironically relying on his pre-mass technology survival experience. While the most of the country can’t even depend on functioning iPods, let alone electricity, he uses whatever he can get his hands on-usually made of metal-to win. So whether he’s blowing up cars or people, McClane still manages to stay cool when everyone else is going nuts.

Still, when it comes to surviving the “internets”, he relies on Farrell as his trump card. Whiny, scrawny, and geeky, the only thing Farrell is good at is shutting down servers and overriding viruses. He’s also clumsy, but somehow manages to match wits with an ex-Defense Department systems analyst who took cyber-security a bit too far and got canned for it. Even though he dresses more emo than Peter Parker, this criminal is apparently able to form a clique where he gets tail on the side.

Yes folks, a classic action series got dumbed down into a computer nerd war movie. That’s not to say that there aren’t any decent action sequences in LFODH. It’s just that most of them occur on the road and were already done before in Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Road Warrior, and True Lies. With the exception of MQ, the hand-to-hand combat is brief and anti-climactic, possibly due to the PG-13 rating, or more likely due to that bullet-time hackery Wiseman subscribed to in Underworld.

In fact, Willis is the only thing saving this film from being a total geek fantasy. While everyone else dies from shrapnel without so much as a bruise, his character is completely bloodied from all the blasts and beatings he encounters. It helps that you can believe he’s still doing most of the stunt-work. It also helps that his character serves as the anchor for what would probably be a derivative espionage film leaning towards wire-fu, rather than story. He’s just trying to do his job, and doesn’t care about the hacker rivalries. I just wish that more attention was given to him, and not the computer monitors.

Ningen’s Rating: 7.5/10 with Willis, 5.0/10 without him

Posted in Asian Related, Other Movies, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , |

Drop (2009) Review

"Drop" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Drop" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Hiroshi Shinagawa
Writer: Hiroshi Shinagawa
Producer: Taiichi Inoue
Cast: Hiroki Narimiya, Hiro Mizushima, Yuika Motokariya, Yusuke Kamiji, Noriko Nakagoshi, Kazuki Namioka, Junichi Komoto, Yuji Ayabe
Running Time: 122 Min.

By HKFanatic

“Drop” is a live-action filmed based on the autobiographical novel by Japanese comedian Hiroshi Shinagawa. Shinagawa also stepped behind the camera for this, his directorial debut. I’m not sure how true-to-life this story is since the characters continually receive exaggerated levels of bodily harm but there’s no doubt that “Drop” is a confident and assured debut, one that proves Shinagawa is adept at balancing comedy with violence. This is a filmmaker to watch.

“Drop” bears at least a superficial resemblance to the Takashi Miike “Crows: Episode Zero” movies. Both films feature Japanese teenagers with outrageous haircuts engaging in increasingly large-scale gang wars. And they both seem to exist in a cinematic universe where kids can beat the living shit out of each other but no one is ever in danger of getting killed or going too far and taking a life. If you like “Crows,” you’ll like “Drop” but I’m not trying to give the impression that “Drop” is a Miike rip-off. These two films should be able to happily co-exist for fans of gonzo Japanese cinema.

The story of “Drop” follows a familiar structure in which a young man enters a new social world and learns several life lessons before moving on to adulthood. As such, don’t expect much character development for our supporting players, who are all rather static. Cool but static. The movie is about a middle schooler named Hiroshi who decides to leave his plushy private school existence and go to a public school where he can be one of the “delinquents” he admires so much. In Japan, these are the kids who skip class, swear, smoke, and regularly get into brawls with other roving bands of teenagers. Hiroshi’s only problem is that he’s not that good in a fight and he’s a bit of a coward. Fortunately, he’s the kind of guy who can take a lot of physical punishment and keep on going, which endears him to delinquent leader Tatsuya and his gang.

The characters in this movie are supposed to be around the ages of 15 and 16, yet all the actors look college age (or older). This isn’t much of a problem as long as you can suspend your sense of disbelief. I’m sure that director Shinagawa wanted to hire the best actors for the part regardless of age. And considering how much violence is in this flick, you need actors who are going to be physically intimidating and up to the challenge. Overall, the cast is great; actor Hiro Mizushima (live action “Beck” movie) is a scene stealer as Tatsuya, who never, ever backs down from a fight – hell, he doesn’t even need a reason to throw down.

The action in “Drop” is plentiful and over the top, with great fight choreography. My favorite scene comes fairly early on as Hiroshi and his friends are sitting at a booth in a Denny’s-style restaurant; Shinagawa gives us one long camera take of the gang talking at a table, while through the window we observe two punks approaching the restaurant. Without Shinagawa cutting to another angle, the punks smash through the glass with baseball bats and start laying the hurt down on our heroes. It’s one hell of a gutsy cinematic moment.

At 120 minutes, “Drop” is pretty damn long for a movie about teenage delinquents but, if you ask me, two hours of Japanese punks delivering guttural yells and beating each other senseless=bliss. Admittedly, the last half hour slows down for some weepy melodrama in lieu of any more action. It’s necessary character growth but some fans may be disappointed that the third act lacks the dynamic fisticuffs of the first half. The ending itself was poignant and well done, leaving me satisfied that I’d just watched one of the best Japanese movies I’d seen in awhile. “Drop” is available on DVD and blu-ray from Funimation, or available to buy in digital form on Amazon. If you love Japanese films that feel like a manga come to life then “Drop” is most definitely worth a purchase.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 8.5/10

Posted in Japanese, Reviews | Tagged |

Needle DVD (Lionsgate)

Needle DVD (Lionsgate)

Needle DVD (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: November 29, 2011

Directed by John V. Soto, this refreshing horror film from Australia is getting some positive buzz! A college student inherits an 18th century machine with deadly supernatural powers. When the machine suddenly disappears and his friends start dying horrific deaths, the student must team up with his estranged brother to find the thief and stop the killings before he becomes the next victim. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Devil’s Treasure, The (1973) Review

"The Devil's Treasure" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“The Devil’s Treasure” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Jeong Chang Hwa
Cast: Ko Chun Hsiung, Nora Miao Ke Hsiu, Sammo Hung Kam Bo, Lau Kar Wing, Wang In Sik, Yee Yuen, Yen Shi Kwan, Yeung Wai, Anthony Lau Wing
Running Time: 96 min.

By Jeff Bona

Wang Chun (Ko Chun Hsiung) is a professional scuba diver who is contacted by a group of shady businessmen who want to locate a mysterious chest beneath the sea. After they offer him a substantial amount of cash, he accepts the job and takes them out to the mapped location to retrieve the chest; turns out, it’s a treasure chest full of gold bars!

When the businessmen no longer need Wang Chun’s assistance, they suddenly try to kill him; but just as they’re about to have their way, a different group of men – who also want the gold – start shooting at the boat. Wang Chun uses the uninvited guests to his advantage; in the process, he outsmarts them all and makes a daring escape with the entire chest of gold in his possession.

From this point, the film continues 6 years later. Wang Chun, his wife (Nora Miao) and their daughter have settled in a luxurious ranch in South Korea. Unfortunately, Wang Chun’s past catches up with him…

Following Bruce Lee’s death, the years between 1973 and 1978 were a transitional period for Raymond Chow’s Golden Harvest film company. During this time, the company shuffled around newer and former leading men to be their next box office draw. Ko Chun Hsiung – along with Jimmy Wang Yu, Carter Wong, James Tien and Don Wong – was one of them (Jackie Chan didn’t sign with Golden Harvest until 1979’s Young Master).

The Devil’s Treasure is my first Ko Chun Hsiung flick and my initial reaction is a positive one. He doesn’t seem to have any martial arts experience, so he relies more on bashing and brawling, than swift body movements to outdo his enemies. Despite the lack of any fancy physical abilities, Ko Chun Hsiung has enough swagger to pass as an acceptable badass.

Nora Miao (Way of the Dragon), who is mostly known for being Bruce Lee’s co-star in all three of his Hong Kong movies, plays Ko Chun Hsiung’s love interest. I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again: she’s overwhelmingly beautiful. However, her role in this movie is one-dimensional, so other than her good looks and running aimlessly at Ko Chun Hsiung’s side, there’s not much more she has to offer.

Other notable co-stars include: Sammo Hung (The Magnificent Butcher), who has a beefy role as one of the main bad guys; Wang In Sik (Dragon Lord), who sports some groovy John Lennon sunglasses; and Tony Liu (The Dragon Missile), who has a brief cameo as a thug who attacks Ko Chun Hsiung early on in the movie. One thing that stands out is the ‘image’ they gave these bad guys. They’re all wearing black trench coats and leather jackets which raise the film’s cool retro factor.

The Devil’s Treasure is a lot of fun. As expected, there are cheesy moments and many instances that defy logic, but what do you expect? It’s a 1973 Hong Kong flick, not a Sidney Lumet movie. In terms of plot, it’s ahead of its time and I can easily see this one being remade today with very little changes in its outline.

I’ve only seen a pack of non-period, 1970’s Golden Harvest titles, but this one sports a decent budget with its explosions, car chases, boat chases and decent shoot outs. Don’t be expecting a lot of kung fu action; there is some, but the movie is first and foremost a drama/thriller, with a decent mix of action thrown in to help with the pacing.

Recommended.

Jeff Bona‘s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , |

Trailer for Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s Headshot

"Headshot" International Theatrical Poster

"Headshot" International Theatrical Poster

Twitch has posted a trailer for Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s Headshot (not to be confused with the upcoming Stallone film). Along with Wisit Sasanatieng (Tears of the Black Tiger) and Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives), Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is considered one of Thai cinema’s leading “new wave” auteurs. He is best known for his 2003 film Last Life in the Universe.

For the trailer please visit Twitch. Also check out the Official site. – Thanks to ShaOW!linDude for the tip!

Posted in News |

Hindsight (aka Blue Salt) Trailer

"Hindsight" Korean Theatrical Poster

"Hindsight" Korean Theatrical Poster

Directed by Lee Hyeon-Seung (Il Mare) and starring Song Kang-ho (The Good, The Bad, The Weird) and Shin Se-kyung (Five Senses of Eros). Hindsight is about a former gangster who now wants to live a quiet life while hoping to run a restaurant of his own. One day, he meets a daring and spunky young girl in his cooking class, and finds himself drawn to her. She turns out to be a little more than someone who can marinate some Korean BBQ.

This action drama looks very similar to 1996’s Beyond Hypothermia. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in News |

My Sassy Girl director to make blockbuster starring Fan Bingning and Chow Yun-fat

Chow Yun-fat

Chow Yun-fat

My Sassy Girl” director Kwak Jae-yong has been hired by China Film Group to direct a movie potentially starring two of China’s biggest celebrities, Chow Yun-fat and Fan Bingbing. This is the first time for a Korean director to helm a Chinese blockbuster. The movie, named “Yang Guifei,” is scheduled to be released next year. Filming is due to begin in October and around 30 Korean staff, including the lighting director, will take part in its production. For full story, please visit chosun.com.

Posted in News |

Phase 7 aka Fase 7 DVD (Salient)

Phase 7 aka Fase 7 DVD (Salient)

Phase 7 aka Fase 7 DVD (Salient)

RELEASE DATE: October 4, 2011

There’s some buzz about this new thriller from Argentina! (read cityonfire.com’s review) Coco just moved to his new apartment with his 7-months-pregnant wife Pipi, when their building is quarantined due to the outbreak of a deadly flu. Meanwhile, outside the quarantined building, the world as they know it is disappearing. No wonder no one came when they dialed 911. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |